Menzies named a finalist for Ben Jobe Award

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies has been named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award as the top minority coach in Division I men’s basketball.

Menzies led the Aggies to the 2015 WAC Regular Season Championship and a 21-10 record heading into the WAC Tournament semifinals on Friday. He was named the 2015 WAC Coach of the Year.

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He as a career record of 173-99, is the third winningest coach in NM State history and is currently tied for 10th on the Western Athletic Conference coaches all-time win list. He’s led the Aggies to three consecutive WAC Tournament Championshps and four in his eight-year career heading into this season’s tournament in Las Vegas.

In addition to Menzies, the 2014-15 finalists include Tommy Amaker of Harvard, Kevin Baggett of Rider, Bobby Collins of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Ed Cooley of Providence, Mike Davis of Texas Southern, Frank Haith of Tulsa, Ron Hunter of Georgia State, James Jones of Yale, Robert Jones of Norfolk State, Kevin Keatts of UNC Wilmington, LeVelle Moton of North Carolina Central, King Rice of Monmouth, John Thompson III of Georgetown, Gary Waters of Cleveland State, and Willis Wilson of Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

The award is named after Ben Jobe, an icon in the history of basketball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is best known as the head coach of the Southern University, a position he held for 12 seasons. He has also head coach at Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Talladega, Tuskegee and South Carolina State.

His record at Southern was 209-141 and included four NCAA Tournament appearances. He also coached the Jaguars to one NIT appearance, five SIAC championships, 11 SWAC titles and two NAIA Tournament Championships.

Perhaps his most memorable moment as a coach was Southern’s 93-78 win over Georgia Tech in the first round of the 1993 NCAA Tournament. It stands as one of the great upsets in the history of the event.

The recipient of the 2015 award will be announced at the CollegeInsider.com Awards Banquet on April 3 in Indianapolis, site of the 2015 men’s division I basketball championship.